Machine for making containers



April 9, 1945- w. w. VAN voom-ns 2,398,200

MACHINE FOR MAKING CONTAINERS 4 Sheets-Sheet I 1 Filed Nov. 27, 1943INVENTOR,

WILL/AM. n. VAN VOORH/S.

IJIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'I A A TTORNE K April 9, 1946- I w. w. VAN VOORHIS2,398,200

MACHINE FOR MAKING CONTAINERS Filed Nov. 27, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. WILL/AM W VAN l/OORH/S.

MwW

A TTORNEY.

April 1946' w. w. VAN vooRl-us MACHINE FOR MAKING CONTAINERS 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 27, 1943 INVENTORT W/LL/AMK'. VAN l/OORHIS.

" M I ATTORNEY April 9, 1946.

w. w, VAN voom-us V MACHINE FOR MAKING CONTAINERS Filed Nov. 27, 1943 4Sheets-Sheet 4 IINVENTOR, WILL/AM n. VAN l/OORHIS.

BYMWW A 7' TORNE Y.

Patented Apr. 9, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE j MACHINE FOR MAKINGCONTAINERS Application November 27, 1943, Serial No. 511,952

14 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for making nested containers ofthewireiess pail type and also of other types, of paperboard.

Containers can be made by folding blanks in different ways and it isoften desirable to apply adhesive at suitable areas of the blanks tomaintain the containers in their desired form, but a certain period oftime must generally elapse before the adhesive dries or setssufficiently to prevent unfolding of the folded blank. Such foldedblanks often have the tendency before setting of the adhesiveto unfoldinto an unsuitable form and this tendency often results in blockingtheentrance of each unit in such a manner as to prevent nesting of the nextunit therein. This is true of different types of containers made byfolding blanks, including the full gusset pail type where the gussetsare folded exteriorly of the container to which the invention isparticularly applicable. It will be described with respect to such typeof container with the understanding that it is applicable to other typesas well. Such full gusset type is formed from a Single continuous blankof material suitably scored or creased so that it can be easily foldedto provide the container when the folds are held in place. The materialof which the container or pail is made is generally paperboard,sometimes called cardboard or fiberboard or the like, and it isgenerally waxed or other-wise treated to prevent it from absorbingliquid contents or permitting such contents to leak therethrough. Fullgussets have been used to prevent openings at the edges of adjoiningwalls of the container through which leakage could occur. well adaptedfor packaging bulk ice cream, cot tage cheese, olives, pickles, andother materials comprising a liquid. A metal wire handle was generallyused with this type of container or pail, the ends of which wereconnected to the gussets for holding them together. The gussets werefolded exteriorly of the container so that the wire need not contact thecontents, and the exterior folding also resulted in the smoothestpossible interior surface.

Metal for the wire handle is not easily available at the present time,and a handle which is formed of an integral part of the container blankis set forth in the application of Charles H. Goodyear for Container,Serial No. 492,489, flled'June 28, 1943, assigned to the assignee ofthis application. In the manufacture of full gusset pail typecontainers, adhesive is usually applied to certain parts which contactother parts when Such containers are particularly" the blank is foldedto form the container, the 55 adhesive when dry maintaining thecontainer in the shape desired for use. It is expedient to nest thecontainers each within the preceding one to save space in manufacturing,storage and shipping, and it is convenient for the user to have the Theadhesive used. does not dry or set imme-' diately, and since it does notbind the parts until it has set, the result is that the resiliency ofthe paperboard causes the folded blank, if it is not exteriorlyconfined, to open up and become nothing more *than a .:partially foldedblank. Confining the container or pail exteriorly so that it cannot openup beforefnesting may be done expediently within a chute or. runwaywhich furnishes at the same time a path of travel for the nestedcontainers. But when confined exteriorly before completion of thenesting of the next succeeding unit therein, the resiliency of thematerial causes the sides toward which the gussets are exteriorly foldedto incline inwardly of the container and thereby block the interiorsufllciently to prevent nesting. All four sides of the container of theGoodyear application mentioned above, and perhaps of some othercontainers also, have extensions to be bent over at creases to form topflaps, and these extensions or flaps further block the openings-into thecontainers and aggravate the difliculty of nesting of the containersbefore the adhesive has set.

Objects of this invention are to provide automatic means for holding theparts of the containers in such position that they can be automaticallynested and means for nesting them, before the adhesive has set andwithout any unfolding of the parts, and other objects will be apparentafter reading this specification.

Preferred exemplifications of the invention are shown on theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, on which 1is avertical section of a machine for accomplishing the objects referredto above, with the parts in their position at an earlier stage of acycle of operation;

Fig. 2 is a similar view at a later stage of the cycle; Y

Fig. 3 is a cross section on theline 3-3 on F18. 1;

of a modified form of machine for accomplishing the objects referred toabove, with the parts in their position at the beginning of a cycle ofoperation, and

Figs. 8, 9, and 11 are views similar to Fig. 7 showing the parts indifferent p sitions during a cycle of operation.

Flat blanks It, as that shown on Fig. 4, have scores or creases alongall the dotted lines thereon. All dotted lines on such figure representcreases or scores and are collectively marked II. All such scores orcreases may, if desired for the sake of simplicity, be impressed intothe same side of the blank simultaneoisly. The blanks are bent to formcontainers v." .ich are preferably tapered and have a rectangular bottoml2,- a pair of opposite trapezoidal side walls 13, and a pair oftrapezoidal side walls l4. 'Foldable full type gussets I! connect thepairs of side walls [3 and H, the material of which is continuous, andthus the con- .tainer is as leakproof as the material of which it ismade. The sides 13 haveextensions I8 and the sides l4 have extensionsI'I, these extensions forming the top or cover flaps of'the container'onbending them'at the creases or scores defining them, The flaps it havecuts l8 therethrough and the flaps I! have cuts I! therethrough. Thecuts l8 are to form handle portions and the cuts l9 are to forminterlocking portions. Adhesive is applied to certain parts of the flatblank Ill, after which it is folded at the scores or creases. It isapplied so that gussets will be held to 8115- sets and to outer faces ofside walls when the adhesive has set. The adhesive is applied preferablybut not necessarily only to faces which will be outside of the finishedcontainer to avoid any chance of contamination of contents bytheadhesive. For example, if the side walls and gussets are foldedupwardly from the blank of Fig. 4, then the adhesive is preferablyapplied only to the lower face of the blank, and, if desired, only togussets. The adhesive is preferably applied by conventional automaticmeans. A pail of such type is described and claimed in the Goodyearapplication referred to above. The gussets are folded to overlap eachother against the outer faces of one of the pairs of side walls II or14, preferably against the narrower pair if they are not of thesamewidth. This allows for more rinting space on the wider side walls andalso affords more overlapping of the gussets. Such folding is shown onFig. 6. The present invention is useful with respect to the Goodyearinvention and other types of pails, as well as to containers generally.

The blanks having the adhesive properly applied thereto are usuallylocated one at a time over a member having an opening therethroughfunctioning as a forming die which is conventionally used for foldingcontainer blanks, and is therefore not shown, with the bottom l2properly located over such opening. A plunger moves onto the face of thebottom I 2 and forces the blank through the die thereby causing it to befolded in conventional manner into a container having an open top andthis to be moved into a four-sided runway in which containers with theirtops open are nested. The containers, after being folded into shape onpassing through the die, are moved one by one into a chute or runway 2|having four sides 22, 23, 24 and 25, through which the series ofcontainers is forwarded and which prevents the sides of the containersfrom spreading. They are nested within the runway, one at a time, eachinto the preceding one, as will be described hereinafter.

The plunger has a bottom member 26 dimensioned to fill the bottom of thefolded container, and it is attached to a hollow cylinder 21. Attachedto the bottom member by screws 28 are side members 29. The cylinder 21'has opposite openings 3| therethrough; through which levers 32 project,these levers having ends 33 shaped to contact the extensions I1 andswing them outw'ardly about their scores or creases, as will be referredto hereinafter. The levers 32 are pivoted on pivot pins 34 affixed tothe cylinder 21. A rod 35 is mounted to slide in holes in disc bearings36, 31 affixed to the cylinder 21 by pins ll. The lower end of the rod35 is provided with a disclike head or abutment 4l.. A compressionspring 42 extends between the disc 31 and the inner ends of'the levers32 about the rod 35. A stop member 43 isafllxed to a suitable stationarysupport 44. A cross-bar 45 is attached to the rod 35, to contact and bestopped by the stop member 43. The cylinder 21 is reciprocated to formthe containers consecutively, and the plunger 28 as well as the rod 35and parts appurtenant thereto reciprocate with it.

The parts of the formed blank, tend to assume, if not confined; beforethe adhesive has set, the positions illustrated in a general way. onFig. 6. the walls l4 and the extensions or naps I1 thereon preventingnesting of another unit therein. On its downward movement, the plungergathers a blank as shown on Fig. 4, to suitable parts of which adhesivehas been applied, about itself by pressing the blank through the diewhich per se forms no part of this invention. The plunger is then withinthe shaped container in the position shown on Fig. 1, the appliedadhesive having not yet set, nor has the adhesive set on the nextpreceding unit. As the cylinder and plunger continue their downwardmovement to the position shown on Fig. 2, the plunger carries thecontainers along with it. The rod 35 and the cross-bar 45 movedownwardly with the cylinder 21 and plunger until the cross-bar isstopped by the stop member 43, the cylinder 21 continuing its downwardmovement to compress the spring 42 and thereby cause the pivot pins 34to approach the abutment 4|. Due to the shape of the levers 32, they arethereby forced outwardly as shown on Fig. 2 to press the flaps lloutwardly.

The sides 22 and 23 of the runway have opposite openings 46 thereinrespectively, at the position where the levers 32 move outwardly. Hooks41 which are preferably resilient, are attached by screws 48 or anyother suitable fastening means to the walls 22, 23, in such positionthat the flaps I! are pushed under the hooks by the end 33 of the levers32 when the levers are moved outwardly as shown on Fig. 2. By this timethe container on the plunger has entered and has been nested within thecontainer next preceding it by the continued downward movement of theplunger. as shown at the lower half of Fig. 1. The hooks 41 retain thecontainer and strip it from the plunger on the upstroke thereof, and bypreventing the flap portions H from 7 moving inwardly, permit nesting ofthe next eontainer formed by the next downstroke of the plunger.

Nesting is aided by ribs 49 on the inner faces of the runway sides 24and 25 which exert pressure on the walls I3 of the container whichcauses them to bend inwardly as shown on Fig. 3, which in turn causesthe side walls l4 to extend outwardly away from eachother. This assuresthat the walls I4 and the flaps I! will b. extended outwardly to be inproper position so that the flaps I! will be extended outwardly underthe hooks 41. The container parts would otherwise assume the positionsshown on Fig. 6

When the plunger is at the lowermost part of its downstroke, it beginsits upstroke and leaves the container which is thereon, before itsadhesive thereon has set, within the next preceding one and therebyprevents such preceding one from collapsing and the parts thereof frommoving inwardly. The last container in the nest is held open by thehooks 41. The chute or runway 2I extends to a desired point of deliveryandthe nest of containers is intermittently and regularly moved forwardtherein to such point.

In the modification shown on Figs. 7-11, the plunger 6| pushes blankslike that illustrated on Fig. 4, with adhesive applied at the desiredparts of the surface thereof, through the forming die (not shown). Theplunger does this on its upstrokes and then moves the folded blankthereon upwardly into and through a runway or chute 62, in which nestingoccurs. This chute may be similar to that referred to above, and isrectangular and dimensioned so that the folded containers can movetherethrough. Opposite sides 63 have openings 64 therein, adjacent whichendless chains or other flexible driving means 65 are mounted. Eachchain runs over its own set of sprockets 66, 61, and 68. Each chain isprovided with lugs 69 which project outwardly from the chains. On theirtravel from the sprockets 61 to the sprockets 66, the lugs 69 eachproject toward an opposite lug 69 on the other chain and are sopositioned that they contact the lower edgeslof the last folded blank tolift it up and away from the plunger 6| as will be referred tohereinafter. Lugs 10 project forwardly at right angles to the lugs 69for a purpose referred to hereinafter.

Vertically reciprocating blocks II, the means to reciprocate which arenot shown, carry pivot pins 12 on which short arms 13 can oscillate. Thereciprocating blocks are behind, and the pivot pins project through,elongated openings 14 in, guard plates 14a. Carried by such short armsare two sets of arms, 15 and 16. The arms 15 project exteriorly of thechute or runway 62, before the front 11 thereof,'while the arms 16normally extend into the runway through the openings 64 in the sides 63.The arms 16 which extend into the runway may be broad.

The operation of this modification will now be described. With' theparts as shown on Fig. 7, the plunger 6| has moved upwardly to theuppermost position of its stroke with a blank folded thereon at 18 afterthe blank has been moved through the forming die (not shown), whereuponlugs 69 by their upward movement lift the folded blank 19 off of theplunger and carry it upwardly. At the same time, the reciprocatingblocks II are moving downwardly to complete the last half-of theirdownstroke. When such downstroke has been completed, the parts will bepositioned as shown on Fig. 8. The blocks II and the lugs 69 with thefolded blank thereon then both move upwardly. At the end of the upstrokeof the blocks, the parts will be positioned as shown on Fig. 9. Thefolded blank then contacts the arms 16 to cause them, as well as thearms 19 and 15 to swing outwardly as shown on Fig. 10. The folded blank18 on which the adhesive has not yet set is continuously moved upwardlywithin the runway progressively as shown in Figs. 7,- 8, 9 and 10. As itis ready to enter the next preceding folded blank'19, on which theadhesive has not yet set, the arms 16 extend the sides H, or rather theflaps l'l thereof, which normally tend to assume the position shown inFig. 6, so that the folded blank 18 may enter and be nested therein, thearms 16 functioning something like a shoehorn. The folded blank 19 ismaintained with its parts in correct position until the adhesive thereonhas set by the unit 18 therein and by the runway. When the folded blank18 has entered the next preceding folded blank 19 sufilciently to assureproper nesting, the blocks ll begin their downward movement, which,together with the upward movement of the chains 65, causes the arms 15and the lugs 10 to contact each other. The continued upward movement ofsuch lugs and the downward movement of the blocks 'Il cause the arms 15to spread apart as shown on Fig. 11, such spreading of the arms15causing the arms 16 to spread apart likewise and to be'removed from theinterior .of the unit 19 and from the interior of the runway, as shownon Fig. 11. This leaves the runway free for the next succeeding foldedblank to pass therethrough and to become the element I6 for the nextcycle of operation, the one which had just been the element 18 becomingthe element 19. The operation shown on Fig. 11 is intermediate betweenthat shown On Figs. 7 and 8. The cycle of Operation is then repeatedsuccessively until the desired number of containers have been formed.Ribs 60 which are similar to, and have the same function as, the ribs 49on Fig. 1 are useful also in this exemplification.

The stack of nested containers, "no matter by which machine it is made,can be delivered to any desired point through an open four-sided runway8|, each addition to the nested series moving the series one stepfurther. The invention is well adapted for making and nesting containershava ing the specific structure described and claimed in the Goodyearapplication mentioned above, and it is also well adapted for makingcontainers generally. of any structure where there is a tendency for theformed blank having unset adhesive thereon to become distortedsumciently to interfere with proper nesting.

Maintenance of nested units in the runway for a time sufficient for theadhesive to dry or set completes the manufacture thereof.

Some of the specific features referred to for the purpose ofillustrating and describing the invention may be varied withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof. a

I claim:

1. A machine for making containers, having means comprising areciprocative plunger for forming container blanks successively intocontainer form, a runway into which said plunger moves on its formingstroke'to insert the container forms thereinto and nest them therein.and means to maintain open the form of the container immediatelypreceding that being nested.

2. A machine for making and nesting c'ontainers from successivecontainer blanks, parts formv ing opposite sides of said containers havea tendency to spring out of position before adhesive thereon has set,which comprises means to form successive container blanks into containerforms which have unset adhesive thereon to bind the blank parts when theadhesive has set, a runway to receive successively formed nestedcontainers from said forming means, and means cooperating with therunway to cause the sides between said opposite sides to bend inwardlyand thereby prevent the container parts forming said opposite sides fromspringing out of position.

3. A machine for making containers, having means comprising areciprocative plunger for forming container blanks successively intocontainer form, a runway into which said plunger moves on its formingstroke to insert the contalner forms thereinto and nest them therein,means to maintain open the form of the container immediately precedingthat being nested, and means to retain said container form on the returnstroke of said plunger.

4. A machine formaking containers having a tendency for opposite sidesthereof to move inwardly before adhesive thereon has set, comprising arunway for nested containers, and means to cause sides between saidfirst mentioned sides to bend slightly inwardly and thereby prevent suchfirst mentioned sides from moving inwardly.

5. A machine for making containers having a tendency for opposite sidesthereof to move inwardly before adhesive thereon has set, comprising arunway for nested containers, and means within said runway to causesides between said first mentioned sides to bend slightly inwardly andthereby prevent such first mentioned sides from moving inwardly.

6. A machine for making containers having a tendency for opposite sidesthereof to move inwardly before adhesive thereon has set, comprising arunway for nested containers, and a rib within and longitudinally ofsaid runway "to cause sides between said first mentioned sides to bendslightly inwardly and thereby prevent said first mentioned sides frommoving inwardly.

7. A machine for forming and nesting containers of the type having sidesand cover flaps formed from foldable blank material, comprising a runwayfor holding a group of such containers in nested condition, plungermechanism mounted for reciprocating movement in the run-' way andmovable in one direction to nest sucn containers by insertion of aformed container thereon into a container of said nested groupimmediately preceding such formed container, and opposite hookscooperating with the runway to engage over opposite cover rlaps on acontainer to hold said flaps out of the way during the nesting and alsoto hold said nested group in position when the plunger mechanism movesin an opposite direction on its return stroke.

8. A machine for formingand nesting containers of the type having sidesand cover flaps formed. from ioldable blank material, comprising arunway for holding a group of such containers in nested condition,plunger mechanism mounted for reciprocating movement in the runway andmovable in one direction to nest such containers by insertion of aformed container thereon into a container of said nested groupimmediately preceding such formed container, opposite hooks cooperatingwith the runway to engage over opposite cover fiaps on a container tohold slid flaps out of the way during the nesting and also to hold saidnested group in prsition when the plunger mechanism moves in an oppositedirection on its return stroke, and means to efiect relative lateralmovement between the hooks and said opposite cover flaps during thenesting.

9. A machine for forming and nesting containers of the type having sidesand cover flaps formed from foldable blank material, comprising a runwayfor holding a group of such containers in nested condition, plungermechanism mounted for reciprocating movement in the runway and movablein one direction to nest such containers by insertion of a formedcontainer thereon into a container of said nested group immediatelypreceding such formed container, opposite hooks c0- operating with therunway to engage over opposite cover flaps on a container to hold saidflaps out of the way during the nesting and also to hold said nestedgroup in position when the plunger mechanism moves in an oppositedirection on its return stroke, and members mounted for movement withthe plunger mechanism and which are also movable laterally outwardlyrelative to the plunger mechanism during the nesting to move said flapslaterally outwardly.

10. A machine for forming and nesting containers of the type havingsides and cover fiaps formed from foldable blank material, comprising arunway for holding a group ot such containers in nested condition,plunger mechanism mounted for reciprocating movement in the runway andmovable in one direction to nest such containers by insertion of aformed container thereon into a container of said nested groupimmediately preceding such formed container, opposite hooks cooperatingwith the runway to engage over opposite cover flaps on a container tohold said flaps out of the way during the nesting and also to hold saidnested group in position when the plunger mechanism moves in an oppositedirection on its return stroke, members mounted for movement withtheplunger mechanism and which are also"p votnlly supported thereby forlateral outward movement relative to the plunger mechanism during thenesting to move said flaps laterally outwardly, and means forautomatically moving said members during the nesting.

11. A machine for forming and nesting containers o! the type havingsides and cover flaps formed from ioldable blank material, comprising arunway for holding a group or such containers in nested condition,plunger mechanism mounted for reciprocating movement in the runway andmovable in one direction to nest such containers by insertion of aformed container thereon into a container of said nested groupimmediately preceding such formed container, opposite hooks cooperatingwith the runway to engage over opposite cover flaps on a container tohold said naps out of the way during the nesting and also to hold saidnested group, in position when the plunger mechanism moves in anopposite direction'on its return stroke, members mounted for movementwith the plunger mechanism and which are also pivotally supportedthereby for lateral outward movement relative to the plunger mechanismduring the nesting to move said naps laterally outwardly, resilientmeans movable with the plunger mechanism for normally holding saidmembers inwardly during movement or the plunger mechanism, and means forautomatically causing such resilient means to move said membersoutwardly during the nesting.

s,sae,soo 5 a runway for holding a group of such containers in nestedcondition, plunger mechanism mounted a for reciprocating movement in therunway and sertion of a formed container thereon into a con- I tainer ofsaid nested group immediately preceding such formed container, means tocause the sides movable in one direction to nest such containers v a byinsertion of a formed container thereon into a container of said nestedgroup immediately preceding such formed container, and opposite hookscooperating with the runway to engage over opposite cover flaps on acontainer to hold said flaps out o! the way during the nesting and alsoto hold said nested group in position when the plunger mechanism movesin an opposite direction on its return stroke, said hooks being mountedat the outside 01' said runway and the runway having opposite aperturesadjacent the hooks.

13. A ior forming and nesting containers of the type having sides andcover flaps formed from Ioidable blank material in which parts formingopposite sides of such containers have a tendency to spring out orposition before adhesive thereon has set, comprising a runway forholding a plurality of such containers in nested condition, plungermechanism mounted for reciprocating movement in the runway and movablein one direction to nest such containers by inbetween said oppositesides to bend inwardly during the nesting and thereby prevent the partsforming said opposite sides from springing out of position andinterfering with the nesting, and

means to hold the cover flaps on said opposite sides out of the wayduring such nesting.

14 A machine for forming and nesting containers of the type having sidesand cover flaps formed from foldable blank material in which partsforming opposite sides of such containers have a tendency to spring outof position before adhesive thereon has set, comprising a runway forholding a plurality of such containers in nested condition, means tonest such containers by insertion of a formedcontainer intov a containerof said nested group immediately preceding such formed container, andmeans within the runway located at the position where the nesting iseffected to cause the sides between said opposite sides to bend inwardlyduring the nesting and thereby prevent the parts forming said oppositesides from springing out of position and interfering with the nesting.

WIILIAMW. VAN VOORHIS.

